я немного говорю по-русски
ya nemnogo govoryu po-russki
To say "I can speak a little Russian" in Russian, use я немного говорю по-русски (ya nemnogo govoryu po-russki).
This phrase is a statement used to indicate that a person has a basic or limited ability to communicate in the Russian language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I a little speak in-Russian".
Which one should you use?
While you might be tempted to use the verb могу (can) to say я могу немного говорить по-русски, this is less idiomatic. The most natural way to express a limited ability is to use the form я немного говорю по-русски.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb говорю is the first-person singular present tense of говорить (to speak/talk). When describing how you speak or write, use the adverbial form по-русски (in Russian) rather than the noun русский, which refers to the Russian language itself.
How do you pronounce it?
ya nemnogo govoryu po-russki
Did you know?
- If you use the noun русский instead of the adverb по-русски, you might accidentally sound like you are saying 'I speak a little Russian man' instead of 'I speak a little Russian'.
- In Russian, the phrase я немного говорю по-русски is often used as a polite 'hedge' to lower the speaker's status and avoid the pressure of a complex conversation.
- The pronoun я and the English word 'I' are distant linguistic cousins, both descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
Examples in context
- Я чуть-чуть говорю по-русски.I speak a tiny bit of Russian.
- Я немного говорю по-русски, но всё понимаю.Ya nemnogo govoryu po-russki, no vsyo ponimayu.I speak a little Russian, but I understand everything.
- Не волнуйтесь, я немного говорю по-русски.Ne volnuystes', ya nemnogo govoryu po-russki.Don't worry, I speak a little Russian.
- Я немного говорю по-русски, так что говорите медленно.Ya nemnogo govoryu po-russki, tak chto govorite medlenno.I speak a little Russian, so please speak slowly.
Example conversation
Maria and Sergey are meeting for the first time at a cafe.
- Мария MariaЗдравствуйте, Сергей! Вы говорите по-английски?Zdravstvuyte, Sergey! Vy govorite po-angliyski?Hello, Sergey! Do you speak English?
- Сергей SergeyНемного. А вы?Nemnogo. A vy?A little. And you?
- Мария MariaЯ немного говорю по-русски.Ya nemnogo govoryu po-russki.I speak a little Russian.
- Сергей SergeyЭто очень хорошо, Мария!Eto ochen' khorosho, Mariya!That is very good, Maria!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries немного, по-русски, я, CC BY-SA 4.0.
